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人人书 > 小故事 > 安徒生童话英文

安徒生童话英文

时间:2024-11-09 01:50:15

安徒生童话英文

欢乐家庭theHAPPYFAMILY

Really,thelargestGREenleafinthiscountryisadockleaf;ifoneholdsitbeforeone,itislikeawholeapron,andifoneholdsitoverone'sheadinrainyweather,itisalmostasgoodasanumbrella,foritissoimmenselylarge.Theburdocknevergrowsalone,butwheretheregrowsonetherealwaysgrowseveral:itisagreatdelight,andallthisdelightfulnessissnails'food.Thegreatwhitesnailswhichpersonsofqualityinformertimesmadefricasseesof,ate,andsaid,"Hem,hem!howdelicious!"fortheythoughtittastedsodelicate――livedondockleaves,andthereforeburdockseedsweresown.

Now,therewasanoldmanor-house,wheretheynolongeratesnails,theywerequiteextinct;buttheburdockswerenotextinct,theyGREwandgrewalloverthewalksandallthebeds;theycouldnotgetthemasteryoverthem――itwasawholeforestofburdocks.Hereandtherestoodanappleandaplum-tree,orelseoneneverwouldhavethoughtthatitwasagarden;allwasburdocks,andtherelivedthetwolastvenerableoldsnails.

theythemselvesknewnothowoldtheywere,buttheycouldrememberverywellthattherehadbeenmanymore;thattheywereofafamilyfromforeignlands,andthatforthemandtheirsthewholeforestwasplanted.Theyhadneverbeenoutsideit,buttheyknewthattherewasstillsomethingmoreintheworld,whichwascalledthemanor-house,andthattheretheywereboiled,andthentheybecameblack,andwerethenplacedonasilverdish;butwhathappenedfurthertheyknewnot;or,infact,whatitwastobeboiled,andtolieonasilverdish,theycouldnotpossiblyimagine;butitwassaidtobedelightful,andparticularlygenteel.Neitherthechafers,thetoads,northeearth-worms,whomtheyaskedaboutitcouldgivethemanyinformation――noneofthemhadbeenboiledorlaidonasilverdish.

theoldwhitesnailswerethefirstpersonsofdistinctionintheworld,thattheyknew;theforestwasplantedfortheirsake,andthemanor-housewastherethattheymightbeboiledandlaidonasilverdish.

Nowtheylivedaverylonelyandhappylife;andastheyhadnochildrenthemselves,theyhadadoptedalittlecommonsnail,whichtheybroughtupastheirown;butthelittleonewouldnotgrow,forhewasofacommonfamily;buttheoldones,especiallyDameMotherSnail,thoughttheycouldobservehowheincreasedinsize,andshebeggedfather,ifhecouldnotseeit,thathewouldatleastfeelthelittlesnail'sshell;andthenhefeltit,andfoundthegooddamewasright.

Onedaytherewasaheavystormofrain.

"Hearhowitbeatslikeadrumonthedock-leaves!"saidFatherSnail.

"therearealsorain-drops!"saidMotherSnail."Andnowtherainpoursrightdownthestalk!Youwillseethatitwillbewethere!Iamveryhappytothinkthatwehaveourgoodhouse,andthelittleonehashisalso!Thereismoredoneforusthanforallothercreatures,sureenough;butcanyounotseethatwearefolksofqualityintheworld?Weareprovidedwithahousefromourbirth,andtheburdockforestisplantedforoursakes!Ishouldliketoknowhowfaritextends,andwhatthereisoutside!"

"thereisnothingatall,"saidFatherSnail."Noplacecanbebetterthanours,andIhavenothingtowishfor!"

"Yes,"saidthedame."Iwouldwillinglygotothemanorhouse,beboiled,andlaidonasilverdish;allourforefathershavebeentreatedso;thereissomethingextraordinaryinit,youmaybesure!"

"themanor-househasmostlikelyfallentoruin!"saidFatherSnail."Ortheburdockshavegrownupoverit,sothattheycannotcomeout.Thereneednot,however,beanyhasteaboutthat;butyouarealwaysinsuchatremendoushurry,andthelittleoneisbeginningtobethesame.Hashenotbeencreepingupthatstalkthesethreedays?ItgivesmeaheadachewhenIlookuptohim!"

"Youmustnotscoldhim,"saidMotherSnail."Hecreepssocarefully;hewillaffordusmuchpleasure――andwehavenothingbuthimtolivefor!Buthaveyounotthoughtofit?Whereshallwegetawifeforhim?DoyounotthinkthattherearesomeofourspeciesataGREatdistanceintheinterioroftheburdockforest?"

"Blacksnails,Idaresay,thereareenoughof,"saidtheoldone."Blacksnailswithoutahouse――buttheyaresocommon,andsoconceited.Butwemightgivetheantsacommissiontolookoutforus;theyruntoandfroasiftheyhadsomethingtodo,andtheycertainlyknowofawifeforourlittlesnail!"

"Iknowone,sureenough――themostcharmingone!"saidoneoftheants."ButIamafraidweshallhardlysucceed,forsheisaqueen!"

"Thatisnothing!"saidtheoldfolks."Hassheahouse?"

"Shehasapalace!"saidtheant."Thefinestant'spalace,withsevenhundredpassages!"

"Ithankyou!"saidMotherSnail."Oursonshallnotgointoanant-hill;ifyouknownothingbetterthanthat,weshallgivethecommissiontothewhitegnats.Theyflyfarandwide,inrainandsunshine;theyknowthewholeforesthere,bothwithinandwithout."

"Wehaveawifeforhim,"saidthegnats."Atahundredhumanpacesfromheretheresitsalittlesnailinherhouse,onagooseberrybush;sheisquitelonely,andoldenoughtobemarried.Itisonlyahundredhumanpaces!"

"Well,then,lethercometohim!"saidtheoldones."Hehasawholeforestofburdocks,shehasonlyabush!"

AndsotheywentandfetchedlittleMissSnail.Itwasawholeweekbeforeshearrived;butthereinwasjusttheverybestofit,foronecouldthusseethatshewasofthesamespecies.

Andthenthemarriagewascelebrated.Sixearth-wormsshoneaswellastheycould.Inotherrespectsthewholewentoffveryquietly,fortheoldfolkscouldnotbearnoiseandmerriment;butoldDameSnailmadeabrilliantspeech.FatherSnailcouldnotspeak,hewastoomuchaffected;andsotheygavethemasadowryandinheritance,thewholeforestofburdocks,andsaid――whattheyhadalwayssaid――thatitwasthebestintheworld;andiftheylivedhonestlyanddecently,andincreasedandmultiplied,theyandtheirchildrenwouldonceinthecourseoftimecometothemanor-house,beboiledblack,andlaidonsilverdishes.Afterthisspeechwasmade,theoldonescreptintotheirshells,andnevermorecameout.Theyslept;theyoungcouplegovernedintheforest,andhadanumerousprogeny,buttheywereneverboiled,andnevercameonthesilverdishes;sofromthistheyconcludedthatthemanor-househadfallentoruins,andthatallthemenintheworldwereextinct;andasnoonecontradictedthem,so,ofcourseitwasso.Andtherainbeatonthedock-leavestomakedrum-musicfortheirsake,andthesunshoneinordertogivetheburdockforestacolorfortheirsakes;andtheywereveryhappy,andthewholefamilywashappy;forthey,indeedwereso.


   

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